


Living for the Moment (in the face of uncertainty)

by Athar Riordan (Atharian)



Series: Primeval: Breaking Dawn [1]
Category: Primeval
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-09
Updated: 2011-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:34:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23560861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atharian/pseuds/Athar%20Riordan
Summary: 2003. Following a shopping experience Matt Anderson will never forget courtesy of his future daughter, - (his credit card certainly wouldn't) - Gideon Anderson comes to a realization that as much as it is important to focus on the mission he and Matt had been sent here to fulfill, living in the moment is just as important; a lesson taught both by Amelia and Matthew.Fic includes song lyrics from the Dixie Chicks song 'Landslide'.
Relationships: Matt Anderson/Emily Merchant (hinted)
Series: Primeval: Breaking Dawn [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1695793





	Living for the Moment (in the face of uncertainty)

If Matt Anderson had believed that this would be done quickly, he was greatly mistaken. Allowing his Seven- nearly Eight- year old future daughter into Gideon's house ahead of him, the Twenty-Four year old navigated the hallway of his father's country home and entered the living room, where he dropped the accumulated array of shopping bags and threw himself onto the sofa and closed his eyes. The young irishman was vaguely aware of chatter coming from the general direction of the kitchen, where Amelia had run ahead to in order to let Gideon know the pair had returned, but at the moment, all he could think about was the slight ache in his arms and his body's need for rest and caffeine.

  
The soldier - soon to be zoologist- had taken the little girl on a shopping trip to buy some clothes as the trip had been long overdue, and desperately needed now that Amelia was officially in his care after her release from the hospital where they had been reunited. Having no prior experience in kitting out a child, Matt hadn't realized how much work such a simple task could be. The pair had visited about 5 different shops for clothes alone, and then they had visited another set of shops to look for decoration and items for the girls room, which currently held a bed, desk, empty shelves and not much evidence of the Amelia residing there.

  
Matt had been glad to see Amelia happy as he gave her autonomy in terms of what clothes she could choose to buy, which seemed to consist of denim (due to the numbers of pairs of denim shorts, dungarees, and Jeans the little girl had picked out); t-shirts and hoody jumpers that appeared to be a collection of blue's, white, black, and a couple of Pinks; as well as some jackets and coats to keep the girl warm. But he didn't think his bank account agreed with his daughter's enthusiasm, as by the end of the trip, he was down just over seven hundred pounds (and that included the telescope he had secretly bought for the girl while she had been looking at some plushy toys).

  
At the sound of Amelia and Gideon's voices becoming louder as they returned from the garden, Matt remained in his current position for a few moments before he felt the weight of Amelia in his lap as the seven year old came into the living room and bounced onto his knee. Groaning, the irishman cracked a clue eye open to find Amelia watching him with excitement still in her blue colored eyes, as he heard Gideon emit a soft chuckle before he took pity on his son.

"Amelia, why don't you sit beside Matthew on the couch, rather than sitting on him. I'm sure he needs to rest for a while after your excursions," the older man spoke with humor in his voice, as Matt caught the pout she gave the older man before complying. 

"Thank you," Matt murmured as he lazily lifted a sore arm up and put it around the seven year old, effectively bringing her to his side in a half hug, which Amelia didn't protest to, as she rested her head on his chest as her legs finally made their aches known to her after the running around she had done.

"You two look like you enjoyed yourselves," Gideon smiled, as he came to sit in his normal chair, and watched the pair over the top of his spectacles. "And bought enough to fill a small shop," he added with humor lacing his voice. It still amazed the older man, how much the children in this time required, in comparison to the bare necessities the children from the Anderson men's original home had survived on (when children were born, which was rare in a future that was sterile), but from the look of things, the amount of purchases were necessary for the growing girl.

Amelia blushed slightly at her grandfather's comment about the amount of stuff bought, while Matt managed a wry grin while he kept his eyes closed as he felt the rush of heat upon Amelia's face that was resting against his bare arm. The weather was still warm despite the lateness of the season, and so there had been no need for jackets - a light zipper perhaps, but nothing heavy.

"Yeah, I never knew how fun shopping could be," he mused with a hint of sarcasm, as he gently tickled Amelia in the side, eliciting a giggle from the Seven year old, whose brown hair tickled Matt's chin as she squirmed under his light attack. "But I've learnt a valuable lesson from the experience."

"Indeed?" Gideon asked with amusement, as Amelia spoke simultaneously. "What's that?"

Matt opened his blue eyes and looked down at the seven year old, "I am not giving you my card. Ever." he said in all seriousness, which was contradicted by the amusement in his blue eyes.

Gideon laughed, as he watched the little girl shy away and bury her face into Matt's arm, as she tried not to giggle. She wouldn't want his card, she wouldn't know what to do with it - Her parents had told her to be responsible with money she was given, but as she didn't have what she needed, Amelia had to get the amount of clothes she had. Well, that was her seven year old logic. She would never be as bad as her Aunt Jess, who she had accompanied shopping with her mother and Aunt Abby once and had never done so again after finding it boring - much to the shock of her 'aunt'.

Matt chuckled at the young girls actions, and rubbed her arm affectionately. Despite the possible emptying of his bank account, Matt had enjoyed the trip - not that he would openly admit it to his father or Amelia. It felt like such a normal thing to do. He hadn't thought about his mission once; he had just focused on the simple task of providing for a girl he would one day have with the woman he had seen in his future (or past - the experience still confused him slightly) and living for that moment that many people took for granted with their children. Of course, he would have to return his focus to the mission at hand - but for one day, Matt was just free to be a regular human being.

"Come on," Matt groaned, after a few minutes of silence between the small family, as he patted Amelia's arm. "Let's get this stuff up to your room, eh?"

"Okay," Amelia nodded enthusiastically, as Matt gave her a gentle nudge and helped her to sit up as sat up, away from the back of the sofa. 

"Alright, why don't you bring a couple of the smaller bags up, and I'll be there in a minute to help you put everything away." Matt suggested, as he planted a light kiss on Amelia's cheek and gave her a light hug.

Amelia jumped up and did as requested moments before her small footsteps could be heard thundering up the wooden staircase. Gideon and Matt watched the little girl's actions with amusement before Gideon spoke.

"She's peeked up a bit," The older man commented, as Matt turned his blue eyes away from the hallway and back to his father. He nodded.

"It was a good idea to take her out," the irishman concurred. "It's the most i've seen her smile since we brought her back from the hospital."

"I agree," Gideon nodded. "And you look as if you enjoyed the experience also."

Matt sighed. He couldn't hide anything from Gideon - the man knew him better than anyone. "I did," he answered truthfully. "I didn't expect it to be as enjoyable as it turned out to be.. It was... different.." he admitted.

Gideon nodded in understanding. He wished his son could grow up in the same way as his granddaughter, - free from burden and able to choose the life he wished to lead. But wishes were no use in front of a reality which had already occurred; the future they had come back to fix. As much fun as Matt had, the two men had a mission to fulfill.

"I understand, Matthew, but we must focus on the task at hand," the older man said slowly, an underlying of regret lacing his voice as he spoke. As much as he wanted this day - (normal as it was) - to last, he knew that it could not when everything around them was at stake. "Amelia's arrival was.. unprecedented, but it cannot interfere with what we must do; too many lives are at stake."

Matt bit back the retort that had begun to form in the back of his mind as his father's reminder. He didn't need to be told how important it was for the mission to be completed - for this fight to be won. Amelia's arrival just made him want to win more. The little girl he could hear upstairs had become a reason to fight, a reason to live through the fight and make it out on the other side. Yes, Amelia's arrival was unprecedented; but at the same time, it gave Matt a reason to keep going - a goal to work towards. He wanted to have the future he had witnessed: he wanted to be happy, to have a family he had never dared believe in, and to watch his daughter (and any other children that may or may not come along) grow into their own without fear of having to fight to stay alive as he and Gideon had to - like everyone in his time had had to do.

"I know," Matt settled on after a moment, although the reply was quieter. Bringing a hand up to rub the back of his neck, the young man stood up. "I'd better bring these upstairs... Sort the room out before Amy decides to move things," he explained vaguely, unaware of the pet name he had just referred to the girl by, as he went to pick up some more of the shopping bags on the floor while ignoring the protests of his sore muscles.

Gideon however, had picked up on the name but he didn't say anything. He didn't need to, Matt's face told him everything he needed to know - and apart of Gideon hated the way he had turned the mood around, while the other kept reinforcing that it was all for the best. Instead, the older man nodded in understanding, as Matt gave him a curt nod and left the room - one bag left untouched.

Gideon frowned at his son's actions at leaving the lone bag, and went to retrieve it. Peeking inside, Gideon swallowed slightly, as he took in the case holding the telescope Matt had purchased for the young girl. Amelia had enthusiastically explained to her grandfather that her 'Uncle Connor' had driven her parents mad by introducing her to the star gazing phase she had started when she was five, while he had been put in charge when Matt had gone to his current place of study and work at the local zoo he had promised to take the little girl to at some point. However, two years later (by Amelia's standards), it seemed the phase hadn't abated- and Matt had recognized this, without the girl needing to tell him. 

Turning his eyes to the staircase Matt had retreated up, Gideon sighed, as he placed the bag and it's contents on the low coffee table in front of him, before removing his wire rimmed spectacles to rub his eyes of the weariness that had crept into them; not just today, but since their mission had began. He had kept this from Matthew, but Gideon thought his son at least suspected. Maybe he was just getting old - although in this time, being in your forties was anything but old - or maybe he was too focused on the mission to allow the gift of his granddaughter infect him with the hope it had infused into Matthew.

Either way, Gideon knew he needed to do something - anything - to change. The radio that had been left to quietly play, sent it's music drifting into the living room, and the lyric's Gideon picked up seemed eerily similar to what he was thinking now, as he replaced his spectacles.

_... And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills_  
_Well, the landslide brought me down_

_Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love_  
_Can the child within my heart rise above_  
_Can I sail through the changing ocean tides_  
_Can I handle the seasons of my life_

_Uh uh... uh uh, uh uh_

_Well, I've been afraid of changin'_  
_Cause I've built my life around you_  
_But time gets bolder_  
_Even children get older_  
_And I'm getting older too_

Swallowing, Gideon turned his eyes toward the staircase once more, before slowing standing, just as the song's instrumental began to play.

Without thinking, he followed the same route his son and granddaughter had taken moments before, and found himself stopping outside the open door to Amelia's room, where Matt and Amelia were talking in light tones as they sorted out the array of clothes and other items that seemed to be now scattered about the place. Putting a hand in his trouser pocket, and leaning his shoulder against the door frame, Gideon became an observer; looking through a window of sorts, as he watched the future begin to mend at a more personal level.

_Well, I've been afraid of changin'_  
_Cause I've built my life around you_  
_But time makes bolder_  
_Children get older_  
_And I'm getting older too_

Gideon watched the way Matt interacted with the little girl and how she, in return, reacted to him.

It was amazing how many similarities Gideon had failed to notice as he spent time with the pair together and separately. The way their eyes lit up with amusement as they made harmless banter about such small trivialities, or the way the same corner's of the mouth curled up when they smiled. Gideon felt his own lip curl up in a small smile at the exchanges as the younger people moved around the room; his presence yet to be noticed.

_So take this love and take it down_  
_Yeah, and if you climb a mountain and you turn around_

Amelia's giggling brought Gideon out of his momentary reminiscence as he found Amelia's small frame leaning heavily against Matt's as he tickled her while he bent the top part of his lean frame to murmur something into the child's ear which caused her to giggle more as she held onto his arms with small hands that appeared so delicate.

_And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills_  
_Well, the landslide brought it down._

A moment later, Matt had turned the little girl around and picked Amelia up as she giggled innocently - the sound music to both men, after such childish mannerisms were rarely heard (if they ever were) in their broken time- while squirming in his arms.

_And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills_  
_Well maybe..._

"Granddad, help!" 

Gideon looked up at Amelia's call as the girl's blue eyes found her grandfather, while Matt continued the playful assault after a comment the little girl had made about nothing in particular. It was the first time she had called him by the title of ' _Granddad_ ' - up until now, she had called him 'Gideon' or 'Sir' - and it made his heart skip a beat upon her acceptance of him.

_Well maybe..._

Matt's smile died slightly at the arrival of his father, but Gideon shook his head at the little girl's request.

"It would take a braver man than me to take on your father," Gideon smiled gently. "I'm afraid I can't help you," he said apologetically, as he shared a similarly apologetic glance toward his son, who gave a brief nod in understanding, before smirking at the little girl who was trying to catch her breath during the brief pause in his attack.

"Ready to give up yet?" The twenty three year old asked the seven year old in a light irish lilt that was his own.

"No!" Amelia squealed as she began to squirm mercilessly in his strong arms again, as Gideon chuckled.

The future had yet to be fully saved, but at the moment, seeing his son interacting with his own future, Gideon Anderson allowed himself to ignore the part of his mind that was solely focused on the mission they had been sent back to do.

It would take another eight years until their deed was done, unbeknownst to them, and the future was saved. But from now until then, Gideon realized - just as his son had upon Amelia's arrival- living in the moment when you could, was the greatest gift of all. And in the coming years, he would not waste a gift that had been given to them, but embrace it.

_Well maybe..._  
_The landslide'll bring you down_

\-----

Fin.


End file.
